Simple Steps To Replace Rear Brake Pads :-)

[Teh]

I have FZ6R but I checked and the brake systems are the same as FZ6. So, I'd like to share my 7 minutes video with everyone here. I hope it is useful. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.- Thank you

How To Replace Rear Break Pads On Yamaha FZ6R (2009) - YouTube

 

[Teh]

Thank you '2006_FZ6', and 'Yasko' for thanking me
Teh

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Welcome to the forum!!!!


Very well made!

Not to nit pick but some important things I believe should have been addressed:

I would have added is cleaning and re-lubing the solid mounting pins with brake specific grease. I noticed the rear of yours was moving very easily(good) however with time/miles, that center tube tends to get sticky and not allow the caliper to float and center itself. We had a member just recently have a rear caliper stick and cause all kinds of problems as the mounts were seized to the caliper...

I also noticed that when the caliper initially came off, the outer piston was grimey. Prior to re-assembly it was nice and clean. I would mention to folks to use brake cleaner or something to clean that piston before pushing it back into the bore...A little brake grease on the rear screw in pin as well..

Great job otherwise!

 

[rsw81]

Also, another step missed was placing a bit of brake grease onto the back of the pads to keep them from chattering under braking and becoming noisy.

Some people will also score the rotors with a scrubby spunge or steel wool to gently clean them when installing new pads.

Otherwise a good video.

 

[Teh]

Welcome to the forum!!!!


Very well made!

Not to nit pick but some important things I believe should have been addressed:

I would have added is cleaning and re-lubing the solid mounting pins with brake specific grease. I noticed the rear of yours was moving very easily(good) however with time/miles, that center tube tends to get sticky and not allow the caliper to float and center itself. We had a member just recently have a rear caliper stick and cause all kinds of problems as the mounts were seized to the caliper...

I also noticed that when the caliper initially came off, the outer piston was grimey. Prior to re-assembly it was nice and clean. I would mention to folks to use brake cleaner or something to clean that piston before pushing it back into the bore...A little brake grease on the rear screw in pin as well..

Great job otherwise!

Scott, Thank you for welcoming me to this forum and thank you also for your great advice. This is my first 'How To' video, and what you said is exactly what I need to do to improve the next video. I just like to share some information and hope others will take time to do the same (like my son's Winnie the Poo said 'the more you share with others the more they'll share with you' I have not replaced the front brake pads yet so your advice will be included!

Thank you.
Teh
---------------------
Scott, I just placed an order for the 3 things below. Hope they are the right ones per your recommendations.
"Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube"
"Permatex 24125 Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant, 8 oz."
"Permatex 80078 Anti-Seize Lubricant with Brush Top Bottle, 8 oz."

They'll arrive this Thursday. I'm on my one week off work so I'll try to get to replace my front brake pads on Friday
Thank you.

 

[Teh]

Also, another step missed was placing a bit of brake grease onto the back of the pads to keep them from chattering under braking and becoming noisy.

Some people will also score the rotors with a scrubby spunge or steel wool to gently clean them when installing new pads.

Otherwise a good video.

rsw81, I appreciate your input and I definitely going to add this 2 important steps into my next video. Would you please read my reply to Scott as well, so I don't repeat myself here again
Thank you.
Teh
-------------------
Per yours, Nelly's, and Scott's recommendations, I just ordered them. I want and hope to do it right this time

 

[Nelly]

rsw81, I appreciate your input and I definitely going to add this 2 important steps into my next video. Would you please read my reply to Scott as well, so I don't repeat myself here again
Thank you.
Teh

A great effort on how to replace the pads. just those few steps can save you a shed loads of time and issues. I am the member Scott talked about that had the poorly lubed pad pins, they left me forking out for a brand new disk and countless rear wheel take downs and Head scratching.
Neil

 

[Teh]

A great effort on how to replace the pads. just those few steps can save you a shed loads of time and issues. I am the member Scott talked about that had the poorly lubed pad pins, thay left me forking out for a brand new disk and countless rear wheel take downs and Head scratching.
Neil

Thank you, Nelly. Guess what? I just placed an order of these stuff:

"Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube"
"Permatex 24125 Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant, 8 oz."
and
"Permatex 80078 Anti-Seize Lubricant with Brush Top Bottle, 8 oz."

They'll arrive this Thursday. I'm on my one week off work so I'll try to get to replace my front brake pads on Friday
I hope they are the right stuff for Scott's 2 important steps.

Teh

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Thank you, Nelly. Guess what? I just placed an order of these stuff:

"Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube"
"Permatex 24125 Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant, 8 oz."
and
"Permatex 80078 Anti-Seize Lubricant with Brush Top Bottle, 8 oz."

They'll arrive this Thursday. I'm on my one week off work so I'll try to get to replace my front brake pads on Friday
I hope they are the right stuff for Scott's 2 important steps.

Teh

Yep, I'm the dilectric grease Nazi....

As for the brake specific grease, that's exactly what I use. It's designed also be used on the brake piston seals (if doing a full brake rebuild). For pins, backs of pads, etc, no problem, very sticky stuff and won't fling off. I have used it in this manner however, when I just rebuilt the front 4 piston pots on my 07(orginal seals), I did not use it on the seals/pistons themselves. It does work very well but also likes to catch and hold grime as just as well. I put the pistons back in with just new brake fluid and so far, just with the new rubber seals, I have about 3 free spins by hand. So I'm very happy NOT using the grease on the piston seals (at least as of now).

BTW, Yamaha does recommend replacing the brake caliper seals every TWO YEARS. Between my old 2004 FJR and my current FZ (same exact calipers), I've found you can get between 4-5 years in the real world before having to change the seals. They do harden up with time and don't release the pads fully as the new seals do... Count on having an air compressor when re-building the calipers as the pistons DO LIKE TO STICK in their holes...

IMHO, if your getting less than .5 turn, free spinning the front wheel by hand, your about due for new brake seals. They are definitly dragging too much, AND prematurly wearing down your pads, killing mileage, etc...

Also make sure the pistons are as clean as possible (brake cleaner) before pushing them back in the calipers... On the fronts, where there isn't as much room as the rear caliper, I've found a "vise grip" style, "C" style end (with a pad on one end to prevent scratching the outside of the caliper) works well for pushing pistons back in. Fits nicely with hole in the piston and you can literally feel the movement of the piston back in..

You could even clean the pistons, put them back on the forks WITH THE PADS, then use a flat screwdriver between the pads and the disc to push the pistons back in. It usually works unless you have a really stuck piston...

And the front SS retainer does have an "arrow" imprinted on it that should face forward (and be visable) if properly installed..

 

[Teh]

Yep, I'm the dilectric grease Nazi....

As for the brake specific grease, that's exactly what I use. It's designed also be used on the brake piston seals (if doing a full brake rebuild). For pins, backs of pads, etc, no problem, very sticky stuff and won't fling off. I have used it in this manner however, when I just rebuilt the front 4 piston pots on my 07(orginal seals), I did not use it on the seals/pistons themselves. It does work very well but also likes to catch and hold grime as just as well. I put the pistons back in with just new brake fluid and so far, just with the new rubber seals, I have about 3 free spins by hand. So I'm very happy NOT using the grease on the piston seals (at least as of now).

BTW, Yamaha does recommend replacing the brake caliper seals every TWO YEARS. Between my old 2004 FJR and my current FZ (same exact calipers), I've found you can get between 4-5 years in the real world before having to change the seals. They do harden up with time and don't release the pads fully as the new seals do... Count on having an air compressor when re-building the calipers as the pistons DO LIKE TO STICK in their holes...

IMHO, if your getting less than .5 turn, free spinning the front wheel by hand, your about due for new brake seals. They are definitly dragging too much, AND prematurly wearing down your pads, killing mileage, etc...

Also make sure the pistons are as clean as possible (brake cleaner) before pushing them back in the calipers... On the fronts, where there isn't as much room as the rear caliper, I've found a "vise grip" style, "C" style end (with a pad on one end to prevent scratching the outside of the caliper) works well for pushing pistons back in. Fits nicely with hole in the piston and you can literally feel the movement of the piston back in..

You could even clean the pistons, put them back on the forks WITH THE PADS, then use a flat screwdriver between the pads and the disc to push the pistons back in. It usually works unless you have a really stuck piston...

And the front SS retainer does have an "arrow" imprinted on it that should face forward (and be visable) if properly installed..

Wow! Thank you Scott. Lots of stuff for me to digest here. English is not my first language, so I am learning a lot of new mechanical terminology here. BTW: I was born and raised in Thailand. Anyway, I'll study what you said and also more research before working on my 'front brake pads replacement' job
Thank you.
Teh

 

[Nelly]

Looking forward to the front pad video guide.
Neil:thumbup::thumbup:

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

 

[rsw81]

Another step that makes pushing the piston back into the caliper much easier is to open the cap on the brake fluid reservoir. This eliminates the back pressure that prevents the piston from pushing back in.

Word of caution: Make sure that fluid level stays above the minimum level line. As you push the piston in, the level will rise anyway. The issue happens when you put it all back together and squeeze the brakes to seat the new pads. The level will drop with each pump of the lever, so you need to monitor the level in the reservoir and top it off as indicated.

Whenever putting new brakes on, the reservoir level should be near the maximum. The reason for this is that as the brakes wear in, the level in the reservoir will slowly drop, and possibly drop below the minimum, allowing air into your brakes lines.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Another step that makes pushing the piston back into the caliper much easier is to open the cap on the brake fluid reservoir. This eliminates the back pressure that prevents the piston from pushing back in.

Word of caution: Make sure that fluid level stays above the minimum level line. As you push the piston in, the level will rise anyway. The issue happens when you put it all back together and squeeze the brakes to seat the new pads. The level will drop with each pump of the lever, so you need to monitor the level in the reservoir and top it off as indicated.

Whenever putting new brakes on, the reservoir level should be near the maximum. The reason for this is that as the brakes wear in, the level in the reservoir will slowly drop, and possibly drop below the minimum, allowing air into your brakes lines.

+1 on all but the first paragraph. The reservoir is vented and the brake fluid won't have a hydralic lock.

I do, remove the cover just so I can see where the fluid is, I don't want it over-flowing all over the place or as you stated, running dry.. Using a "Mity Vac" or such, can suck a MC dry in two or three pulls....

 

[Teh]

Another step that makes pushing the piston back into the caliper much easier is to open the cap on the brake fluid reservoir. This eliminates the back pressure that prevents the piston from pushing back in.

Word of caution: Make sure that fluid level stays above the minimum level line. As you push the piston in, the level will rise anyway. The issue happens when you put it all back together and squeeze the brakes to seat the new pads. The level will drop with each pump of the lever, so you need to monitor the level in the reservoir and top it off as indicated.

Whenever putting new brakes on, the reservoir level should be near the maximum. The reason for this is that as the brakes wear in, the level in the reservoir will slowly drop, and possibly drop below the minimum, allowing air into your brakes lines.

Thank you, rsw81. I'll keep this step in mind when I work on my front brake pads and the video. Lots of inputs which is good but I feel the load of responsibility to cover all of these. I'll do my best
Teh

 

[Teh]

+1 on all but the first paragraph. The reservoir is vented and the brake fluid won't have a hydralic lock.

I do, remove the cover just so I can see where the fluid is, I don't want it over-flowing all over the place or as you stated, running dry.. Using a "Mity Vac" or such, can suck a MC dry in two or three pulls....

Thank you, Scott. I have a lot to learn and think about now. I'm still waiting for the stuff to be delivered tomorrow. It probably is going to take me the whole day just to film it right, and another couple weeks to edit the video.

Teh

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Thank you, Scott. I have a lot to learn and think about now. I'm still waiting for the stuff to be delivered tomorrow. It probably is going to take me the whole day just to film it right, and another couple weeks to edit the video.

Teh

Actually, the fronts are much easier to do than the rear. Just a little more cleaning, pads come out without ANY WRENCHES.

Just two little clips and the main pin comes out (that holds the pads). Try to remember to support the old pads, especially from the rear, as they'll drop like a rock on your rim...

As mentioned earlier, the SS upper anti rattle plate has a arrow imprinted on it (which faces forward). The main pin also holds that SS plate in as well... Pretty simple set up...

 

[rsw81]

+1 on all but the first paragraph. The reservoir is vented and the brake fluid won't have a hydralic lock.

I do, remove the cover just so I can see where the fluid is, I don't want it over-flowing all over the place or as you stated, running dry.. Using a "Mity Vac" or such, can suck a MC dry in two or three pulls....

Interesting, and I'm sure that's true of all motorcycles come to think of it. We had some issue getting the piston pushed in on my Triumph until we opened the cap. I wonder if the vents are clogged somehow. Will have to look into that.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Interesting, and I'm sure that's true of all motorcycles come to think of it. We had some issue getting the piston pushed in on my Triumph until we opened the cap. I wonder if the vents are clogged somehow. Will have to look into that.

It'd have to allow air into the MC somehow or it'd "vapor lock" but with brake fluid as the fluid level goes down over time.

I don't know how the Triumph brakes are exactly set up but the principles are the same for most (if not all) brake systems.

Fluid going downward is forced downward by the master cylinder piston/hand lever. Fluid coming back up (retracting the piston for new pads) should go up before the MC piston as its in the retracted (normal relaxed, lever fully out) postion.

You are pushing fluid thru some very small orifices so perhaps loosening the cap did indeed help. If the caliper brake seals are getting old, caliper piston corroded, dirt, etc, that would indeed hamper the piston being pushed back in. The new rubber seals are apparently much more flexible and indeed retract the pistons where the old seals didn't... BTW, feeling/looking a new seal adjacent to a 5 year old, original seal, I couldn't feel / see any difference..

Any serious dragging of the brake pads/caliper (some drag of course is normal) is an indicator the caliper(s) needs attention (cleaning, new seals, etc).

After I replaced the seals on each caliper (4 pistons each on my 07, each side), the pistons slipped back into the bore (with a little brake fluid for lubrication) very easily. Now, I can get easily 3 full free "hand spins" on the ft wheel where before, it was maybe 3/4 -1 full turn.

 

[FinalImpact]

Replace Rear Brake Pads, Don't let old fluid return to MC!!!

Best Practice is to NOT push old fluid back into the master cylinder!!!

Open the bleeder and LET THE FLUID OUT using a hose from the bleeder into a container! Old fluid is likely full of sediment and moisture. We don't need this in our lines or Reservoir.
To absolutely prevent it from going into the MC, depress the lever or handle to BLOCK the Reservoir Feed Port CLOSED and the fluid is forced out the bleeder while the piston is pushed in.

In addition, if the caliper or line is removed, it will stop the fluid from leaking out if the lever is pulled. And when dealing with 2 or more pistons in a caliper, With the lever depressed, pushing IN a piston will force OUT the other piston(s) as the fluid has no where to go. Good for cleaning or if complete tear down is required.

Info on Brake Bleeding: BRAKE BLEEDING, CALIPER AND PAD INSPECTION

EDIT: HAHA Ancient post brought to life by a POLE!!!! errr.....

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Re: Replace Rear Brake Pads, Don't let old fluid return to MC!!!

In addition, if the caliper or line is removed, it will stop the fluid from leaking out if the lever is pulled.

So, if rebuilding the brake caliper (it's disconnected fully from the bike), zip tying the hand lever to the grip will STOP ALL fluid in the lines from bleeding out?

Does that apply to ABS equipped systems as well??